You're not the only one who's had it hard
by LoveXbitesXsoXdoXI
Summary: Oneshot. Aj learns shes not the only one with a troubled past. Aj/OC


Jackson rubbed his sore neck as he came back from yet another loss to big E. Nothing seemed to be in his favour anymore ever since Aj literally fell into his life. It had been a complete accident, he hadnt meant to push her off the apron during their mixed tag match intentionally, hell he even tried to grab her to prevent it, but that's not how she seen it.

"How does it feel to have someone bigger then you push you around?" The tiny raven haired woman asked making an appearance in front of him. She had her hands behind her back and was smiling sweetly at him.

"How many times do I have to apologize for it to get through to you? I didnt do it on purpose." He snapped. She did this every time he came back from a match against one of her friends.

"I have been through enough in life then to let some rookie male superstar put his hands on me." She hissed back at him, the sugar sweet smile replaced by an angry scowl.

"You're not the only one that's had it hard." Jackson replied sharply. Nobody knew about his past, when it came to that he tried his best to avoid it. Aj seen the distant look that came over his face, then a pained one before he clenched his eyes shut and put on a tough exterior before walking around the diva in hopes to escape her and the memories that she brought back to life for him. Which reminded him he had to call his older sister, Lily, and see how her and his younger sister Gianna were doing and if they needed anything.

"Hold on." Aj called after him. She'd asked around about this newbie, taking general interest in him since he was pretty good for someone so young, but she always came up empty handed.

"What now? You gonna throw me in that submission move you do? Gonna kick me in the balls?" He began questioning her. He was tired and wanted to be left alone.

"I wanna make you a deal. You said you had it hard? I wanna know how. Tell me that and I'll cal off my dogs." She said and he rolled his eyes.

"No deal." Jackson said but Aj was persistent and right in his way again. For her it was the need to connect to another person so that she knew there was someone else that understood her pain.

"Jackson please." She pleaded looking up at him with her deep brown eyes and staring into his grey ones.

"Why do you wanna know so bad?" He asked placing a hand on his hip as he looked down at her. She had an idea, a cruel one at that, but she was sure it would work.

"Because I think you're full of shit." She replied and watched the anger that formed on his face. Jackson knew a little of her past, how she flopped between being homeless and living in motels, which wants very different from his own up bringing.

"You wanna know my past? Same as yours except mine lacked parents and involved my older sister turning to prostitution just so we could eat. " he snarled at her before shoving past the shocked woman who stood speechless. When he entered the locker room he punched one of the locker doors as hard as he could before sitting down on the bench and putting his head in his hands.

"Jackson..." The female voice made him clench his fists. Was she ever going to just leave him alone? Then he felt the soft touch of her hand on his shoulder and soon she was kneeling beside him. "I'm sorry. I didnt mean..." She trailed off unable to come up with the words to phrase how she felt.

"I understand what you went through, but I would never call bullshit on someone who claims they had it hard too. Having it hard holds different meanings to everyone. What's hard to us could be easy to someone else and vice versa." He scolded her.

"I just...I wanted to know I wasn't the only one that had to literally fight my way into a better life. I want to know your story." She said and he sighed.

"What if I dont want to tell you ?" He questioned her but knew he would give in easily. He wanted to get it off his chest so it would lessen the weight of having this secret no one knew about.

"I won't make you." She said and stood to leave.

"My dad was killed in Iraq." He said making her stop and turn slowly. "My mother left us soon after making my older sister step up. I was only 9 and she was 19." He said and Aj walked over to thethe bench and sat next to him.

"We lost our house within a month and were sent out on the street with a bag of clothes each and the little food we had in the house. That's when Lily began to..." He trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off the tears. "Soon she got enough money to afford us a motel room, we had a 4 year old sister after all and no family close enough to take us in. But I had to watch my sister hate herself for what she did, had to watch her come back with bruises. That went on until I was about 14 and began street fighting for money to try and help out and hopefully get my sister off the street because she was now being introduced to drugs."

"How is she today?" Aj cut in hoping to hear something positive.

"Her and Gianna are fine because I make sure of it. This job helps me put my family in a better financial state and allowed Lily to find a better and safer job." He said. "I guess that's it."

"Did you...did you maybe wanna grab dinner with me? My treat and way of saying I'm sorry." She said and Jackson cracked a smile.

"I'd like that." He said and Aj returned his smile before giving him a hug.


End file.
